Projectile intercepting means



Feb. 13, 1945. J KALNITZ 2369;464

PROJECTILE INTERCEPTING MEANS Filed Dec.- 27, 1943 Fig. 3.

NVENTOR Josegb Kalnirz:

Jaw.

ATTO NEYS tTheapparatusoi the present Patented F b. 13,1945

. ApplicationDecemher eams. 3 (otinz i'ol' This inventionrelates to novel nieansvfor deti'ending and protecting marinevessels Eagainst projectiles and; more particularly; against proa 'ie'ctiles of the torped'd type}. ooth submarine and aerial. m

According to the present invention apparatus isprovided "which; when not in use; lie's closely alongsideoi the vessel with which it is associated; Howeventhe ap aratus is provided with automotive means by virtue of which it rojects itself inte -a position spaced laterally from the vessel to intercept torpedees traveling toward the ves sel either above or below the surface o'f' -the water. Further, according to the present invention, the interception of projectiles is accom lished in a novel manner; owing in p'art but not entirely to ainovel way in whichthe interception means 1 is suspended or supported. i I a invention is fun ther 'characterizedby the ia'ct that the -inter cepting means is of proper buoyaney toiautm matically maintain: a. proper velevation'al position, in which position it is disposed to: intercepts projectile approaching the vessel with which. it

is: associated, whetherrsuch rojectile is "a diorpedo of the type traveling a. short distance beneath the surface of thewater or whether his or the type which travels just above the water;

According to one form of theinvention theme mentumof the projectile is converted in partinto.

a'tuming moment acting upon the apparatus and apparatus toward the vessel. The-*latter-cornponent is not harmful, since the inertiaor drag 1 As anjexample'ofthe application of a the prineljples ofmy invention, the following"description andthe accompanyin drawing set forth appsratus wher'eina remotely controlled pilot heat devicerenders Tthe torpedo intercepting" means automotive. However, it fis'withln. the purview of'therpresent invention to employ; auxiliary craft-in this capacity, and especially in the case a of large vessels like battleships and cruisers, pa-

tro'l boats or like craft carrying crews may. he used to provide tractive force for the intercepti cig i neans.

"Theraccompanying drawing and the ensuing specification delineate an exemplary form of the principles of the present invention Ibut..i't isf to be understood 'thatfthe spirit and scope ofthe 194a, easements} invention is not thamas (defined in theeappendedcclaimsx llnttherdrawingr.

Fin. l ris'awtop' planiview oia vesselfequipped withrapparatus according'ito the present inven tlon; H m Fig; 12 is asfront elevational view,-; with the-rape paratusshownxinxcross seetion;,

Fig. 3 is atfragmentarywsidetelevational. view of the intercepting apparatus of Figs. l 1 and 2 ;3 and Fig. 4 :is an; enlatgedriiragmentary side 'eleva tional :viewnof the-front endfloi such interceptingappatatus; i

Throughdt theseveral figures of the vdrawing like characters 'ot reference dehotelikerparts and inalFigs. 1 and 2 .the numeral inzdesignates a: vessellwith which one formioftheapparatus-of my naturally buoyant means: may be employedwvith invention is shown 1 associated; Thea intercepting v apparatus :comprises a series of supporting ele ments H which in. the 1 ill-ustratediorm comprise tubular velements having their ends sealedto render them'buoyant. I However, timbers or other equal effect; Theseveral supporting elements I l are articulated as" at [hand the'connections are intended ito; be conveniently? detachable in any desired manner; This cvpermits ready replace merit 10ft a, unit that has been damaged in any in part into a component tending to move the way and also permits ready assembly and..-dis+ assembly when-the apparatus is to be applied to or removed from ,a vessel.

When theeapparatus is a vessel the several supportingelements H extend in endito end relatiorr, parallel to the vessel, and

spaced. substantially thereirom, 1311 as shownat 1 therighthandorstarboard side of the vessel-10 in Fig 1; Thiserelationship is also illustrated in Fig. 2. Each of the longitudinalsupporting elements] l hasatseries :of spaced vertical bars 01' rods 13 fixed thereto vand longitudinal tie rods 14 fixed. to the bars or rods R by weldingor in any other convenient manner, hold theJvertical .bars

. .r't w n-he hctei i' r mtni .2 that the bars rods-1.3 extend-both above andbelowthesurfae V of the water and terminate in arcuate. portions limited thereto, or otherwise '11. :position to protect varied and weight means may be employed to dispose the apparatus vertically.

When a projectile strikes the screen formed by the elements l3 and I4 it tends to rotate the assembly about the supporting elements H and, although the nose of the projectile will usually extend through the screen and become dodged therein, the arcuate portions l 5 will in any event prevent any projectile which comes against the device from passing it upon rotationof the assembly. In the case of a torpedo much more often than not the detonater in the nose thereof will not strike a bar I 3 or a tie rod l4, and accordingly the torpedo will not explode. However, even in the event of explosion, the screen l3, l4 will be spaced sufficiently from the vessel ID to prevent serious damage, although some effectsof the explosion may result. Sections of I the screen l3, -l4 which may be destroyed by explosion may be readily replaced, as heretofore suggested.

The assemblies, comprising a series of articu-. lated supporting elements I I and their associated bars I3 and tie rods M, are self-positioning and to this end the forward end of the forward ele-' ment H is connected to a propulsion device designated generally in Figs. 1 and 4. As appears best in Fig. 4, a bail 2| may be pivotally connected to the forward end of forward supporting element II and to the rear ofthe propulsion device. The latter may have any suitable motor or engine (not shown) for driving a screw propeller 22 and no steering of the propulsion device is required, so that simple engine starting and stopping or clutching and de-clutching means may be provided, such means being remotely controlled from the vessel H] by electrical conduits, flexible chain means, Bowden wires, cables or any other suitable means. Since no invention is claimed for the specific engine or motor means or the specific engine or motor control means they are not illustrated or described herein in detail.

In the illustrated example each propulsion device is pivotally attached, as at 24, to the end of an arm or. boom 25 which is in turn pivotally attached to the bow of the vessel, as at 26. In Fig. 1 the torpedo intercepting means isshown in an inactive position at the port side of the vessel. If the propulsion device 20 at this side of the vessel be activated, the entire assembly moves forwardly with respect to the vessel but, beingconstrained to move in an arcuate path defined by the boom 25. The series of intercepting elements moves outwardly away from the vessel until the assembly reaches a position corresponding to that illustrated at the starboard side of the vessel in Fig. 1. I

Cables or guy wires 28 limit the degree of forward movement of the propulsion devices 20 and arrest their relative forward movement when the booms are'in positions substantially normal to the vessel. ,Rear cables or guy wires 29 prevent thetails of the assemblies from drifting away from the vessel under ditions. 7

What is claimed is: g

1. Marine projectile intercepting apparatus for association with a vessel comprising, an elongate projectile intercepting means, aboom adapted to be pivotally attached at its opposite ends to the bow of a vessel and to the forward end of said means, and a tractive device at the for: ward portion of said intercepting means, said tractive device'including propulsion means and various navigational cona prime mover therefor, whereby operation of said tractive device swings said boom forwardly to move the intercepting means away from a vessel to be held spaced therefrom by said boom and whereby continued operation of said tractive me'anseliminates drag on the vessel by the intercepting means.

2. Marine projectile intercepting apparatus comprising a boom adapted to be pivotally attached at one, end to the bow of a vessel and swingable horizontally from' a rearwardly extending position substantially alongside said vessel to a position substantially normal thereto, elongate projectile intercepting means pivotally attached at aforward end to the opposite end ofsaid boom, and motive means acting against said opposite end of said boom and the forward end of the intercepting means to move said boom from its rearwardly extending position and thereby space said intercepting means from the vessel to prevent passage of projectiles to the vessel.

, 3. A'marine projectile intercepting barrier comprisingan elongate buoyantsupporting element, and a series of longitudinally spaced vertically extending bars extending both above and below said supporting element.

4...A marine projectile intercepting barrier comprising a series of elongate buoyantsupporting elements connected in end to end relation, each of said supporting elements having a series of longitudinally spaced vertically extending bars extending both above and below said supporting element.

- 5. A marine projectile intercepting barrier comprising an elongate buoyant supportingelement, a series of longitudinally spaced vertical bars extending both above and below said buoyant supporting element, and verticallyspacedlongitudinal bars rigidly connected with said vertical barsto prevent their longitudinal displacement under impact. I

6. A marine projectile intercepting barrier comprising an elongate buoyant supporting element and a series of longitudinally spaced vertical bars extending both above andbelow said supporting element, the terminal portions'of said bars being formed substantially into semi-circles,

said semi-circular formations being adapted to extend away from a vessel to be protected whereby to serve as projectile restraining troughs upon rotation of said barrier about its buoyant supporting element. V

7. A'marine'projectile intercepting apparatus comprising a boom adapted tobe pivotally attached at one end to the bow of a vessel and swingable horizontally-from a rearwardly extending position substantially alongside said, vessel to a position substantially normal thereto, elongate projectile intercepting means pivotally attached at a forward end to the opposite end of said boom, and motive means acting against said opposite end of said boom and the forward end of the intercepting means to move said boom tached at one end to the bow of a vessel and swingable horizontally from a rearwardly extending position substantially alongside said vessel to a position snbstantialiy normal thereto,

from its rearwardly extending position and therea by space said intercepting means from the vessel to prevent passage of projectiles to the vessel, said intercepting means comprising a series of clone gate buoyant supporting members connected in articulated end to end relation, each supporting 5 member having relatively rigid intercepting barriers extending both above and below said supporting elements. a a

JOSEPH KALNITZ. 

